At Wilmington University, educators are passionate about giving students the tools they need to thrive in their professional lives. But they don’t always know when they’ve made a difference.
Stephen Ciskanik, who graduated in May, reached out to his former professor, Susan L. Gregg, to let her know that her class laid the foundation for what is now a flourishing career. Gregg chairs the Digital Media, Graphic Design, and MSIST, Web Design programs. She is also a WilmU staff photographer.
“I was your student in 2020 for Basic Photography at Wilmington University,” he wrote. “I was always interested in photography, but I owe a lot of my love for photography and the start of my professional career to you and that class…. I have started my own business: SVC Drone and Film, doing photography and videography for Winterthur museum and a few others.”
Ciskanik also recently accepted a full-time photography position at Northrop Grumman, an aerospace and defense technology firm.
“Thanks to you I learned how to take better photos, edit on my own, got the ability to start my own learning path outside of school, but mostly how to have more confidence in my own abilities, which is extremely important when running a business,” he wrote. “Your class showed me the fundamentals of photography and gave me the confidence to take that information and run with it and to learn on my own and start my business and gain more skill through my experiences.”
As he looks ahead, Ciskanik is excited about succeeding at work he finds fulfilling professionally and personally.
“I really am very grateful for all the help and mostly for the encouragement you gave me to pursue what I love to do,” he wrote to Gregg.